A solar tracking apparatus, which follows the sun from sunrise to sunset, is used by solar power systems.
When the closer to the right angle the incident angle of the sunlight reaching a solar panel is, the higher power generation efficiency the solar power generation can be, thus a solar tracking system is generally used to improve the power generation efficiency by driving the solar panel to always follow the sun.
The altitude and the azimuth angle of the sun change with the diurnal time and the seasons, and many apparatuses are developed for tracking the sun regardless of time and seasons.
The methods of tracking the sun can be largely classified into program type tracking, sensor type tracking, and program-sensor type tracking. The program type tracking, which is a method of tracking the sun by calculating the altitude angle and the azimuth angle of the sun from the orbit of the sun, has relatively high accuracy. The sensor type tracking, which is a method of determining the location of the sun using an optical sensor, such as a DCS sensor that senses the amount of sunlight, uses only the value read by the CDS sensor, so the controller specifications are simple and accordingly this method can be implemented at low costs. The sensor-program type tracking uses only the advantages of the program type and the sensor type and supplements the disadvantages of the types, so it is used for system designed to more accurately track the sun.
Meanwhile, since the altitude and the azimuth angle of the sun are simultaneously changed, a method that supplies power to two driving shafts and precisely controls the driving shafts using a program or a sensor in order to track the diurnal motion of the sun is commonly used.
In order to improve the two-shaft driving type, there are Korean Patent Nos. 10-1031286, 10-1017083, and 10-1492585, which simultaneously track the azimuth angle and the altitude angle of the sun using a cam or gear engagement.
The apparatuses for tracking the sun in the related art require a weight to keep the balance of solar panels in many cases and there is a possibility of breakage due to complicated structures. Further, in the types of driving two shafts using one power supply, the base of the solar panel is inclined when the solar panel is moved to follow the altitude angle and the azimuth angle of the sun, so it is difficult to operate and maintain the apparatuses.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.